“Think before you react, I never knew what the word impulse was.”
Forty-two-year-old Anthony Brumfield speaks with interviewers from inside a jail, aiming to enlighten young men about the consequences of their decisions. At the age of 19, he was sentenced to life in prison for killing his own cousin.
During a phone call in the county jail, Anthony was speaking with his father when the call was passed to his older cousin, Tony. It was during this conversation that he learned the tragic news: the drive-by shooting he had committed had taken the life of his cousin, Dontavius. While in jail, he took classes that helped him realize that the mindset he had at that time was immature.
He described the feeling as having “the energy taken from him.” Although he had never met Dontavius, just knowing that he had caused his death was enough to deeply affect him. After serving his time in prison, Anthony gained a better understanding of empathy and respect. He hopes that everyone can come together and recognize that many of the struggles we face stem from experiences in childhood.
